Archive for In the News
Look Who’s Playing! Celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day
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February 4th, 2009 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. NGWSD was started in 1987 to celebrate the accomplishments and participation of women in sports. Thousands of coaches, phys ed instructors, teachers, parents, athletes will celebrate the day by participating in events across the country. For a complete listing, see the NGWSD event calendar.
The Women’s Sports Foundation has some very interesting facts on women’s sports participation in 1987 compared to now – the numbers are impressive, but we still have areas for improvement.
A look at how far we have come….
Then….. One in 27 girls participated in high school varsity sports
Now…… 1 in 2.5 are playingThen…. 300,000 young women participated in interscholastic athletics
Now….. There are presently more than 3 million female scholastic athletesThen…. NGWSD was a single event in Washington, D.C.
Now….. NGWSD will be celebrated in many cities across all 50 statesThen… Women participated in only 13 of the 24 events of the 1984 Olympic Games
Now…. In Beijing in 2008, female athletes competed in 28 of the 32 Olympic eventsThen…. The Women’s Sports Foundation was the sole organization promoting of NGWSD
Now… NGWSD is supported by an entire coalition of organizations that combines the experience and resources of the five premiere girls- and women-serving organizations in the United States: Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Incorporated, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, National Women’s Law Center, and the Women’s Sports Foundation.Then…. Title IX was the only legislation pertaining to the involvement of girls in sports
Now…. As of October 2006, 34 states have additional legislation that involves minimum requirements for school physical education programsThen…. Female professional athletes received far less prize money compared to their male counterparts
Now… At Wimbledon in 2007 and the Winter X Games in 2009, identical purses were given to both men and women winners.While these numbers and facts show great strides being made, there is still a huge gap to overcome. Do your part to spread the word by celebrating NGWSD on February 4, 2009.
Vote for Your Favorite in the 2008 United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year
Posted by: | CommentsTwelve female (and twelve male) athletes have been nominated for the 2008 United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year. You can vote for your favorite until December 24 at http://vote.ussa.edu/aoy.
The female nominees are
- Nastia Liukin, USA, gymnastics
- Rebecca Adlington, United Kingdom, swimming;
- Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe, swimming;
- Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, track and field;
- Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia, track and field;
- Guo Jingjing, China, diving;
- Lorena Ochoa, Mexico, golf;
- Candace Parker, USA, basketball;
- Paula Radcliffe, United Kingdom, track and field (marathon);
- Lindsey Vonn, USA, skiing;
- Chrissie Wellington, USA, triathlon; and
- Serena Williams, USA, tennis
You vote for your top 3 female and male nominees and the athletes with the most votes will be awarded Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, and Overall winner.
Support your favorite athletes and vote!Any guess as to who my first choice is?
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Genetic Testing for Sports Aptitude
Posted by: | CommentsEvery child has their strengths and weaknesses, and as parents we all want to help our child find the activity that suits them best, but a recent article I read on genetic testing for sports aptitude made me stop in my tracks for a moment. The New York Times reports that genetic testing is available to help determine the types of sports your child may best be suited for and there are parents willing to pay for it.
Do you think this is right? Helpful? Would you pay for it?
Personally, I would not. It is very evident to me that my 6 year old who has always been on the top 5% of the growth chart is not really suited for gymnastics. That doesn’t mean she can’t try it, benefit from it, or feel good about doing it. She just so happens to get gymnastics because she is always at the gym when I am teaching it, but she really prefers other sports – like swimming, basketball, and I’m sure she will add others to her list as she grows.
Why pigeon hole kids into certain sports based on what science tells us? Why not let them experience a variety of sports and focus on the ones that they get the most enjoyment out of?
